January 2018

NEW RELEASES FROM KING & COUNTRY!

WELCOME to the first ‘DISPATCHES’ of the New Year and a bumper bundle of great new releases to add to your collection! Let’s, without further ado, get started…

APPEARING IN JANUARY 2018

1. "THE RAMCKE BRIGADE"

In 1942 among the reinforcements being sent from Germany to Erwin Rommel’s ‘Afrika Korps’ in their assault towards the Suez Canal was a full brigade of Luftwaffe paratroopers (Fallschirmjagers) under the command of General Hermann-Bernhard RAMCKE.

These crack troops (almost 3,000 strong) were attached to the Italian 25thInfantry Division ‘Bologna’ and fought at the Battle of El Alamein. Although incurring heavy losses and surrounded on all sides they managed to break out and capture a huge British supply column. In addition to looting all the much-needed supplies they also utilized the captured vehicles to transport the Brigade’s survivors back to the safety of the Axis lines.

Throughout their service in North Afrika Ramcke’s men were famous for their audacious and bold fighting abilities… often against heavy odds. Their famous and well-deserved reputation and recognition was as much recognized and admired by their British enemy as well as their fellow Afrika Korps comrades.

Buy all of these singles together and you make a fair saving costwise!

Buy now, while stocks last...

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

2. "CAMERA... LIGHTS... ACTION!"

Leni Riefenstahl(1902-2003) was, to say the least, ambitious and talented. In her long and varied career she was a film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, actress, dancer and photographer. She excelled in all of them.

Her world fame however came from just 2 major documentary films…

“Triumph of the Will” (1935) and “Olympia” (1936)… Both important NAZI propaganda films depicting the 1934 Party Rally in Nuremberg and the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin.

Her technical and innovative mastery of film techniques was second-to-none and both motion pictures received much praise not just inside the Third Reich but also far and wide outside it!

Because of her close involvement with the Nazis before and during the war her reputation never fully recovered after 1945 although she continued to work almost up to the time of her death in 2003 at the ripe old age of 101.

A casually-dressed Riefenstahl leans over her cameramen during the filming of one of her epic documentaries. In addition to her civilian crew she could and did make full use of additional film crew from Nazi groups such as the SA (Sturmabteilung), Hitler’s brownshirts.

Although, for the most part, Riefenstahl was left to her own devices because of her extensive use of SA camera crew SA Leader Ernst Rohm insisted that a ‘Liaison Officer’ was always present... at least for the most important ‘shots’ of the Party Rally at Nuremberg that year.

Please Note:This particular figure is a K&C Xclusive available direct through King & Country and certain authorized dealers.

The ‘Stug III’ assault gun was Germany’s most-produced (over 10,000 vehicles) armoured fighting vehicle of WW2. It was built on the chassis of the already-proven Panzer III tank, replacing the turret with an armoured, fixed superstructure mounting a more powerful gun.

Although originally intended as a mobile assault gun to support infantry it was continually modified and improved to become a tank destroyer.

Our latest Ausf. G model is in typical late-war camouflage and mounts a 7.5cm main gun as well as a 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun complete with armoured shield.

Two crew figures are provided as well an extra machine gun and shield should the collector wish to display the vehicle in a non-fighting mode. 2 x radio antennas are also attached.

4. "KNIGHTS & CRUSADERS"

‘Ivanhoe’ was a novel written by Sir Walter Scott and told the story of one of the few remaining Saxon noble families at a time when medieval England was dominated by Norman nobility, descendants of William the Conqueror.

It follows the adventures of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, who has been disowned by his father for his allegiance to the Norman King Richard the Lionheart.

After the failure of the Third Crusade many of the Knights (including Ivanhoe) who had followed Richard to the Holy Land returned home. There they found a land under the cruel hand of the King’s brother, Prince John.

The novel tells the story of Ivanhoe’s return and his struggle to regain his father’s trust, help a Jewish merchant and his daughter and win the hand of his true love, the Lady Rowena.

Along the way there are battles, jousts and duels that Ivanhoe undertakes and wins before he reunites with his father, defeats his enemies and gains the lovely Rowena.

The tale has inspired movies, television series and more books and even helped shape the modern notion of Robin Hood and his merry band of outlaws...

Our Ivanhoe stand four-square holding his helmet in one hand and his jousting lance in the other.

A friend of Prince John and a leader of the Knights Templar. In both Scott’s novel and the movies based on it de Bois Guilbert is Ivanhoe’s sworn enemy. He is also in love with Rebecca the daughter of the Jewish merchant, Isaac of York.

Between 1914 and 1918 over 10,000 regular and reserve members of Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service were at work in France, the Middle East, Italy, East Africa and India. Wherever they went they were easily recognized by their grey and white uniforms and scarlet red capes. This nurse is typical.

Hundreds of these large metal supply containers were dropped all over Arnhem...Alas, many fell into German hands...Those that did land safely contained extra weapons and ammunition as well as food and medical supplies.

Set include both containers.

And that’s the story for January … Hope you had a great Christmas and we’ll see you again in, if I remember correctly, February.